Electric switch actuator



Feb. 1, 1949. ROWE 2,460,599

ELECTRIC SWITCH ACTUATOR Filed Oct. 3', 1945 Patented Feb. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC swrron ACTUATOR necticut v Application October 3,

12 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to hand actuated means for controlling a two-position switch, such for instance as a switch designed to connect a work circuit to either one of two sources of current. It is the main object of my invention to compel hesitation of the mechanism in the off position in passing from one source to the other.

The invention is applicable to any two-position switch actuated by a rotatable shaft having a handle lever.

Fig. 1 is a front view of a fragment of the cover of an enclosed switch with actuating means embodying the preferred form of my invention, the handle being in the off position and ready to be thrown into position to connect with one source of current. a

Fig. 2 is a vertical projection of the same showing the handle in full lines in its normal inactive off position and in dot and dash lines in the position for throwing the switch into connection with the alternative source of current. 1

Fig. 3 is a side view looking from the left of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side View looking from the right of Fig. 2.

The actuating shaft 1 of the switch mechanism (not shown) is mounted in a support 8 which would appropriately be the cover of a switch box. A cylindrical abutment member 9 surrounds this shaft and has two walls It and H. The handle G2 has flanges 13 hinged on the transverse pivot M in the shaft 5. A spring i seated in the upper end of the shaft 1 presses the handle to the position of Fig. 2 where the extension 16 rests upon the lower wall E6 of the abutment member.

The two walls it and H constitute tracks extending along side of the handle in its ofi position for supporting and guiding the handle in its movement from the oii position to the two on positionsand the higher track H has abutments IT and It at its opposite ends.

To connect the switch with the preferred source of current, it is merely necessary to swing the switch handle l2 from the off position of Fig. 1 to the upper .position marked on during which movement thehandle slides over the top of wall ll.

To connect the switch with the other source of current the handle is depressed to the dot and.

Manufacturing Coma corporation of Con.-

1945, Serial No. 619,999

on position to the upper on permitting said handle to 2'. dash position of Fig. 2 in order to raise the exten-v sion t6. over the edge of wall II.

The end It of wall I l serves as a stop to prevent clockwise swinging of the handle while in the full line raised position of Figs. 2 and 3. The end it of wall I! serves as a, stop to prevent anticlockwise swinging of the handle while depressed in the dot and dash depressed position of Fig. 2..

From the foregoing, it will be seen that when the handle isswung from the upper on position it will be stopped by the engagement of the extension It against the stop H. In order to continue the movement to the lower on position the handle must be depressed in order that the extension it can clear the top of wall II.

In order to swing the handle from the lower position, it must be stopped against the end it of the upper wall and then raised. Overhanging projections l9 and 2t serve to retard the movement of the handle from the off pective on positions.

The abutment wall and the handle extension may be provided with openings 2!, 22, 23 in order to facilitate the attachment of locking means.

To limit the movement of the handle when turning to the on position I may provide the handle with a depending end 24 which may engage the abutment 25 when turning the handle anti-clockwise to the upper on position and may engage the abutment 26. when turning the handle clockwise to the lower on position.

I claim:

1. In a two-position electric switch, a rotatable actuating shaft, a handle hinged to said shaft permitting said handle to be tilted, said handle having an extension beyond said shaft, stops standing in the path of movement of said handle and said extension respectively and a spring tilting said handle so that it can be rotated in one direction, the handle being rotatable in the other direction only when the spring is compressed, said stops having overhanging lips for interrupting the movement of said handle and said exten- 2.. In a two-position electric switch, a. rotatable actuating shaft, a. handle hinged to said shaft be tilted, said handle having an extension beyond. said shaft, stops standing. in the path of movement of said handle position toward the res- 3 and said extension respectively, a spring for tilting said handle and a supporting wall so that the handle can be rotated in one direction, the handle being rotatable in the other direction when the spring is compressed.

3. In a two-position switch, a rotatable actua ing shaft, an abutment wall on each side of the off position of the shaft, one wall being higher than the other, a handle hinged to said shaft and having an extension, a spring normally pressing said handle so that its extension rests upon the lower wall when the handle is in the off position at which time the handle is free to be rotated over the higher wall to one on position but cannot be rotated to the other on position until the handle is depressed so as to raise the extension above the line of the higher wall.

4. In a two-position switch, a rotatable actuating shaft, an abutment wall on each side of the off position of the shaft, one wall being higher than the other, a handle hinged to a transverse pin in said shaft and having an extension, a

spring normally pressing said handle so that when the handle is in the off position it is free to be rotated over the higher wall to one on position and a stop to prevent rotation to the other on position until the handle is depressed so as to raise the extension above the line of the higher wall.

5. In a switch having two on positions and an intermediate off position, a rotatable main shaft, a handle lever hinged to said shaft and having one end extending beyond the shaft, a supporting wall extending around each side of the central off position of the handle lever, one wall being higher than the other wall and serving as a' track to support said handle lever as it is actuated to rotate said shaft and each end of said higher wall acting as a stop to limit the rotating of the shaft and handle lever when actuating the switch from an on to the off position.

6. In a switch having two on positions and an intermediate cif position, a rotatable main shaft, a handle lever hinged to said shaft and having one end extending beyond the shaft, a supporting wall extending around each side of the central off position of the handle lever, one wall being higher than the other wall and serving as a track to support said handle lever as it is actuated to rotate said shaft and each end of said higher wall acting as a stop to limit the rotating of the shaft and handle lever when actuating the switch from an on to the 01f position and a spring normally pressing said handle lever against one of said Walls.

7. In an electric switch having two alternative on positions and an off position between the on positions, an actuating shaft, a handle lever hinged to tilt on said shaft, two walls on opposite sides of said shaft one of which is higher than the other and has abutment shoulders coacting with portions of the handle lever on opposite sides of the shaft, a spring normally tilting said handle lever against the lower wall, the higher wall preventing the tilting of the handle lever in all positions of the switch except the off position and said abutments stopping the rotation of th handle lever in moving from one on posi tion to the other on position.

8. An electric switch control comprising, a shaft, a cylindrical support surrounding the end of the shaft and having two arcuate walls, one of which is higher than the other and has abutments at its opposite ends to limit rotation of the handle lever, a handle lever hinged to the shaft and adapted to tilt in a plane including the axis of the shaft,'a spring normally pressing the handle lever against the lower wall adjacent one of the abutments when said lever is in the open circuit position so as to prevent rotation of the handle lever in one direction and permit rotation of the handle member in the other direction when the handle lever is tilted sufiiciently to clear the abutment, the higher wall preventing the tilting of the handle lever while the circuit is closed, the other abutment preventing rotation of the handle lever in one direction when the handle lever is depressed.

9. An electric switch control comprising, a shaft, a cylindrical support'surrounding the end of the shaft and having two arcuate walls, one of which is higher than the other and has abutments at its opposite ends to limit rotation of the handle lever, a handle lever hinged to the shaft and adapted to tilt on an axis at right angles to the axis of the shaft, a spring normally pressing the handle lever against the lower wall adjacent one of the abutments so as to prevent rotation of the handle lever in one direction and permit rotation of the handle member in the other direction when the handle lever is tilted sufiiciently to clear the abutment, the higher wall preventing the tilting of the handle lever while the circuit is closed, the other abutment preventing rotation of the handle lever in one direction when the handle lever is depressed, said cylindrical support having stop shoulders and said handle lever having a projection coacting therewith to limit the turning of the handle.

10. In an electric switch having two on positions and an intermediate off position a rotatable switch shaft, a handle lever hinged to the shaft and tiltable freely on an axis at right angles to the axis of the shaft and having an extension beyond the shaft and a wall constituting a continuous track extending along one side of the handle when in its off position for supporting the handle or its extension when the shaft is rotated to either of the on positions, said wall having a raised portion for stopping the handle in turning from one on position to the other on position.

11. In an electric switch having two 011 positions and an intermediate off position a rotatable switch shaft, a handle lever hinged to the shaft and tiltable freely on an axis at right angles to the axis of the shaft and having an extension beyond the shaft and a wall constituting a continuous track extending along one side of the handle when in its off position for supporting the handle or its extension when the shaft is rotated to either of the on positions, said wall having a raised portion at each end for stopping the handle in turning from one on position to the other on position, each end of said wall having a lip overhanging the adjacent abutment compelling the handle lever on striking said raised portion to be turned backwardly after turning the handle lever to the off position from one on position and striking the abutment before it can be tilted and continued in movement to the other on position.

12. In a switch having two on positions and an intermediate off position, a cylindrical supporting member, a rotatable main shaft extending axially through the center thereof, a circular wall on said cylindrical supporting member and concentric with said shaft, one arcuate segment of said wall being raised above the remaining said cylindrical supporting member and adapted to be engaged by a part of said handle lever extension.

RAYMOND N. ROWE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,316,320 Ogden Sept. 16, 1919 1,511,132 Marston Oct. '7, 1924 1,557,047 Gwynn et al Oct. 13, 1925 2,015,553 Exner Sept. 24, 1935 2,334,419 Landerholm Nov. 16, 1943 

